Back to School 2015 Organizing Resources

This page has been created to support NEA’s continued collaboration with State and Local Affiliates around membership recruitment and retention strategies. The Center for Organizing, in partnership with various NEA Departments and NEA Member Benefits, has put together a number of resources to assist you in your Back to School 2015 organizing program.

The start of the new school year is an important period for introducing educators to their professional Association and engaging them in our efforts to unite, inspire and lead. This Back-to-School Resource Guide is designed to support state and local affiliates in the development and implementation of a successful organizing plan.

Description: Student debt has become a barrier to the higher education and career opportunities that so many deserve. The Degrees Not Debt (DND) campaign seeks to mobilize members to engage, educate and activate their community and professional networks on the crisis of educational debt and college affordability, and, in the process, grow a stronger NEA member and leader base. Our part of the DND campaign is to help educators save in a number of Federal Programs such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income Based Repayment (IBR), and other programs utilizing a robust online and offline outreach campaign.

How to Use this Resource Guide: This resource guide can be used to help engage Local Affiliates, targeted early educators, parents and community members. Another option available is for members to form repayment application support groups that can benefit from the resources on our website. Resource guide coming soon.

America’s fastest-growing student demographic is so disproportionately underserved by the public school system, the number of programs and dollars spent per English Language Learner is in decline even as the number of ELL students has skyrocketed. How can educators and other stakeholders fight for the rights of language-minority students? NEA’s new guide, All In! How Educators Can Advocate for English Language Learners ( PDF, 853 KB, 44 pgs.), offers strategies, resources, and step-by-step instructions for navigating the real-life issues educators encounter every day.

Educators across the nation recognize the importance of fostering positive, healthy school climates and helping students learn from their mistakes. Increasingly, they are partnering with parents, students, district officials, community organizations, and policymakers to move away from harmful and counter-productive zero-tolerance discipline policies and toward proven restorative approaches to addressing conflict in schools. This toolkit offered jointly by NEA, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Opportunity to Learn Campaign, and the Advancement Project, aims to help educators better understand what restorative practices are and how they foster safe learning environments through community building and constructive conflict resolution.

Description: Across the country, educators are coming forward to address issues that impact classroom instruction and student success in partnership with education support professionals, other staff, parents, and community members. The Leading the Profession Toolkit provides resources and support for local leaders and members as they take the lead on implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and addressing other professional issues. In this newly released toolkit, the Center for Organizing offers state and local affiliates practical tips ranging from: Implementing the CCSS, Draft School Board Resolution, CCSS Talking Points and Resources and Support.

How to Use this Resource Guide: This toolkit can assist local leaders and UniServ Directors in developing a stand-alone training on CCSS implementation for educators. In addition, this toolkit can assist affiliates in building a community-union led partnership to address the implementation of standards to ensure that all stakeholders understand their role in making them a success.

Description: Designed by educators for educators, the Bully Free: It Starts with ME toolkit reflects the best available research on bullying prevention. The toolkit helps to identify caring adults in our schools and communities who are willing to stand up and become a support for students who are being bullied.

How to Use this Resource Guide: Bullying is a systemic problem that educators will face during their career. This toolkit can be utilized to engage early and returning educators to identify, manage and support students who face daily challenges. The Association is the perfect partner to provide this resource and training to its current and potential members. In addition, there are a number of resource materials developed for the different job categories associated with our Education Support Professionals.

Description: This ELL training module is intended to deal with closing the achievement gaps for all ELL students of various cultures and languages. It is available to support and assist educators in understanding how to apply the best research-based ELL, culture and equity practices in the classroom and to further one’s own professional development.

How to Use this Resource Guide: This resource guide can be incorporated into the work of a UniServ Director or Local President to host a professional learning meeting with their leadership teams, Association Representatives and targeted educators in high-density ELL schools. For additional information on closing the achievement gap, visit NEA's Achivement Gap resource page.

[Poll name]

Email A Friend

Send This article to:

Enter the e-mail address of the recipient. Multiple addresses need to be separated by commas (200 characters max).

Add your message (optional):

Enter your e-mail address (required):

NEA respects your privacy! Your e-mail address, and that of your recipient, will be used only in the case of transmission errors and to let the recipient know who sent the story. The information will not be used for any other purpose.